This year, people living in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, saw more new bike lanes and metro stations in their city than ever before.
There are now about 122 km of cycling paths and four metro lines with 45 stations. It is a welcome sight in a city that suffers from air pollution and where many people tend to use private vehicles. Using bikes and the metro is cleaning up the city and, for some, is a quicker way to get around. And, as its popularity increases, it will likely lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Financing for this new development comes in part from the sale of carbon credits to Romanian power companies by the government, a welcome revenue stream for a stretched city budget.
